Frozen Daggers
by AquiXia
Summary: When S.T.A.R. Labs start drying out on funds, Caitlin has to pay a visit to the Arctic leaving Cisco and Barry behind to keep the city safe. But how well will that work out when she finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy with no means of communication with the others? (Killer Frost origin, canon up to 1x19)
1. The Departure

_A/N: The season finale left so many questions unanswered, and I got the idea to share my take on the origin of Killer Frost.  
Set after '_Who is Harrison Wells' _(and canon up to), but differs afterwards, basically no Reverse Flash._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the laptop I'm writing this on. So shoo, copyright sharks, nothing to see here.  
Special thanks to my beta _Cavacookie _, for making this possible._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

"I really don't think you should do this Caitlin," Barry said. He sounded worried- he now understood how Caitlin felt every time he blindly charged into battle without taking a second look at his surroundings.

"I'll only be away for a week, Barry. You and Cisco can survive," Caitlin assured him. She had a sudden flashback to the time when Cisco tried to electrify Barry in an experiment to make him shoot lightning. Then she thought back to the time when they tried to cook bacon by rapidly vibrating Barry's hands (which ended up with Barry nearly merging with the bacon permanently). However, that experiment didn't compare to the time when Cisco tried to turn Barry's suit invisible- which it did... on Barry. And she couldn't forget the time when they tried to make Barry generate fire blasts during Caitlin's lunch break, from which she returned to find a _very_ guilty looking Cisco and a brow-less Barry. After thinking it through, Caitlin said "On second thought, maybe Cisco should go."

Cisco put his hands up and shook his head. "Nuh-uh. Not happening. I am not going to the Arctic. I don't function in the cold."

"In that case," Caitlin said grabbing her purse. "I should go pack up. See you guys tomorrow." She waved the two a quick goodbye before getting in the elevator.

At the very same second the elevator doors closed, Cisco let the grin that he had just managed to suppress, spread across his face. Barry responded with an enthusiastic smile and the two rushed into the control room. Cisco pressed several buttons and then scanned his hand, making the secret-not-so-secret door to Cisco's weaponry open with an Inception horn sound effect. Barry approved with a "Nice" and a nod.

Cisco seemed pleased. "It's cool right? I added it last week. Now check this out." Cisco grinned as he lifted a rifle-sized gun, which looked creepily similar to Snart's Cold Gun. He turned towards the empty space inside the vault, which Barry knew for a fact that Cisco used to try out his new toys. There were two platforms in the middle, one had nothing and the other one displayed a S.T.A.R. Labs teddy bear.

Cisco aimed and fired the gun at the teddy bear, which got cocooned by a pale purple light, but nothing else happened. Barry raised a questioning eyebrow to which Cisco responded with his iconic grin. "Now, I got the idea from Shawna-"

"Peek-a-Boo?"

"The one and only. So we were sitting in her cell and got talking and, dude, like, she really needs to get over that stupid Clay Parker guy, she babbled on about him for an hour. Anyways, we talked, scratch that, she rambled on and I listened and turns out her powers are cooler than we knew. If something goes wrong during her teleportation, there is an explosion. Sick isn't it?" Cisco was grinning the way he did when he first met Oliver, and tiny part of Barry's brain which Caitlin would have named 'consciousness' was screaming in terror at the signs. Of course, Barry Allen being Barry Allen, ignored that little fragment of useless sense.

"So it occurred to me, what if I make a device that dematerialises an object, and dematerialise it back but this time, bombard the molecules with just enough energy to make them collide with particles in the air?"

Cisco turned, aiming at the empty platform. "The object will teleport but will immediately combust, and with enough energy it can even cause an explosion," he exclaimed, getting ready to fire. "I named it Peek-a-BOOM."

"The maniac that tried to murder me?"

Both men turned to the doorway, startled. Cisco, however, was in the middle of firing the gun and instead of the empty platform, the beam found Caitlin's heels. Barry reacted immediately and grabbed Caitlin. He saw the bear's head starting to materialise as he moved her to the entryway of the control room.

There was an extremely loud 'Boom' and a lot of smoke produced by the weapon. Thankfully, the emergency ventilation system kicked in and the smoke was cleared in half a minute. Caitlin rubbed her temple as Barry let go of her and stood up, helping her back on her feet. He offered a sheepish smile which wasn't returned, much to his dismay.

Cisco stood completely still with the widest and most apologetic grin on his face. This was the same face he made when he got himself tangled up in polymer cables after touching Oliver's arrows despite the glares.

"I trust that you can stay safe for one week. I don't ask you to build up another Lab, or work double time for my shift, I just ask you to keep the building, and the city as one piece until I come back. But you nearly blow me up and I haven't even packed my stuff yet!" Rage was dripping from her voice, 'fury of a thousand mothers,' as Cisco put it. Barry tried to slowly leave, silently stepping towards the entrance.

"And you." Busted. "We no longer have Dr. Wells to guide or clean up after you. You have to be more careful, Barry, we can't afford losing you."

Cisco's head hung low, and Barry moved closer to Caitlin. Sure, he suffered a lot because of Harrison Wells – or Eobard Thawne, whatever he was calling himself these days. But everything Wells had done was to hurt him and only him: Caitlin was just caught in the crossfire. Even after losing her fiancée, her career and reputation, she still stayed with her mentor and trusted him. However, the man turned out to be the man behind everything.

They found out the hard way that they were relying so heavily on Dr. Wells. Cisco was not as comfortable with his gadgets and inventions, and Caitlin was smiling less and less everyday, despite the fact that Ronnie was back. Barry struggled to focus and relied heavily on his underdeveloped team.

Now, they were also running dry on funding. So Caitlin had to go to the S.T.A.R. Labs' Arctic outpost to record and verify some data so that they could send the reports to major companies.

Caitlin gave a weak smile as Barry gently rubbed her upper arm. "How about pizza tonight? At my place?"

"Sounds good, but I really need to pack up."

"We can meet at your place and help you pack up," Cisco offered, looking at Caitlin like a guilty puppy. His face lit up when she smiled warmly and nodded, and he got the courage to ask, "Why did you come back anyway?"

Caitlin uncomfortably pushed a strand of hair behind her hair. "I forgot my lucky mug."

* * *

Barry knocked, for the third time, against Caitlin's apartment door. They could hear noises from inside, followed by a loud clatter. "Caitlin!" He started vibrating his hand on the knob expecting a familiar 'click' that never came.

"Won't work, dude. I installed an anti-speedster security system after Reverse Flash nearly killed me. Twice. But I have a key right here." Cisco started searching through his pockets and found a key attached to a blue snowflake. "Get it? 'Cause she's Caitlin Snow?" Barry shook his head with a groan.

"She gave you a key to her apartment?"

"Sure, we could call it that."

Cisco unlocked the door and they both rushed inside, calling her name.

"In here," a reply came from the bedroom. Cisco had known Caitlin for years, but it was the first time her bedroom looked this messy. Well, second, if he counted the time when her fiancée died and Cisco had to break down the door to get to her. The incident that had earned him his well-deserved key. Which Caitlin didn't know about. And would probably be better off not knowing.

"Are you okay? We heard a noise, did you fall?" Barry asked, relieved to see Caitlin unharmed.

"It was the shoe boxes," Caitlin explained, tilting her head towards the mess in the corner of the room where a mixture of empty boxes and an unnecessarily vast number of shoes were chaotically piled together. "I was looking for my boots when they ambushed me."

The doctor was sitting on the edge of her bed with a large suitcase lying open at her feet. The suitcase was empty, but the floor and her bed were both covered in clothing. Some of the items clothes were neatly folded whilst others clumsily swung aside. "You do realise that you are supposed to put your stuff inside the suitcase, right?"

"Ha. Ha. Very funny Cisco," she rolled her eyes. "I can't decide on what to pack. I have a list here but it will take me ages to find everything in this mess."

Barry smirked for a brief second, then there was the familiar 'whoosh' and in the blink of an eye, the room was as tidy as ever and her suitcase standing at the door fully packed and locked. Cisco grinned as Barry leaned against the door frame, examining his fingernails. "Super speed does have its uses."

Caitlin rolled her eyes. "Let's eat, I'm starving."

They moved to her living room, and enjoyed the extremely rare occasion of Caitlin allowing them to eat on the couch. To Cisco's insistence, the Coast City pizza was eaten while watching _The Goonies_. How Cisco wasn't sick of that movie yet was the million dollar question that both Barry and Caitlin couldn't answer. Of course, as expected, the brightest mind of the S.T.A.R. Labs family dozed off halfway through the movie and Caitlin immediately switched _The Goonies_ to _Slumdog Millionaire_. She then got up, not being able to resist her sisterly urges, to lay a blanket on Cisco. Caitlin found herself needing to bring another blanket though, because when she turned back, Barry was fast asleep. She turned off the television and lights and set her alarm before smiling at the two sleeping figures. Then she went to her room to get some well-deserved rest.

* * *

Barry dragged Caitlin's suitcase, which if his estimates were accurate, was as heavy as her, through the large, glass doors of Coast City Airport. Caitlin's heels clicked as she casually walked past him carrying her purse with one hand. The other hand held the flight information sheet she had printed in the morning – which she was examining right now – and she seemed to be stripped of all other senses, as she did not even notice the struggle happening behind her.

A groan slipped out of Barry's throat when he tried to lift the suitcase to avoid tripping over a platform, while Cisco practically yelped trying to mimic his actions with multiple bags stuffed under his arms and in his hands, and failed.

"Thanks for helping me with the stuff," Caitlin turned to face them. Barry stopped rubbing his throbbing arm and smiled at her, and Cisco dropped the bags and sighed with exhaustion.

"Thanks for letting us sing back in the car," Barry replied with a childlike grin. He had started humming _Poker Face_ as they left Jitters in the morning when Cisco joined in, and were jamming out _I'll be There For You_ as they passed the 'Welcome to Coast City' sign. Of course, a lot of nudging was involved trying to get Caitlin to sing as well, and a line from _Summer Lovin'_ which might have talked about 'a girl crazy for me' but she was not intrigued.

Caitlin grimaced at the memory.

They passed the checkpoint and handed in the luggage. Barry insisted on staying with Caitlin until the boarding time, and Caitlin gladly took on the offer.

 _"This is the boarding announcement for flight 52N to Blüdhaven. We are now inviting all our passengers to begin boarding."_

Caitlin faintly smiled at Barry, who seemed very worried, contrasting 'Cisco's pretty excited to have a week's worth of guy time' attitude. "Barry, it's just one week, I'll be fine."

Barry sighed. He knew she would be fine- she was only visiting another location of S.T.A.R. Labs, and the only difference was that this one would be colder. Much colder. He also knew that Caitlin was fully capable of taking care of herself if anything went wrong. Which it wouldn't. Barry tried to convince himself of this but failed miserably. Even though there was nothing to worry about, he still felt like something was going to go wrong. "If you need anything, just text, or call, or send a messenger bird, and I'll be there."

Caitlin gave him a loving hug, then turned to Cisco. "I wrote down all the procedures you need to follow if something happens to Barry, you already know the basics so you should be fine without me." She turned back to Barry. "Although I strongly recommend you do not get cut open, his stomach can't exactly tolerate with seeing people getting stitched up. Doubt he will be able to stitch you up."

Cisco rolled his eyes, but still tightly hugged Caitlin. They exchanged their goodbyes when she was specifically called to the gate. She started walking but slowed down for a final reminder, "Don't forget to feed the metas! Oh, and, I want the facility intact when I return," she smiled and made her way to the gate as Cisco and Barry kept waving.

"Hey, Barry," Cisco said in a whisper between his grinning teeth. "We might have a problem."

"What kind of a problem," Barry asked in the same silent tone.

"Depends on how fast you can rebuild a control room…"

* * *

 _A/N: No action in this chapter, and there won't be much Killer Frost stuff for a few chapters. But I still hope you enjoyed it, thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next chapter! And don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions._

 _Sneak preview:_ "If I was a flask of illegally fermented ninety-nine per cent fuel ethanol, where would I be?"

Aquixia


	2. New Faces

_A/N: Thanks to everyone who kept reading! You will be introduced a new setting this chapter, I hope you like it._

 _DarkElements10: Thank you so much! It's so great to know that you've noticed._

 _DestinyWillFindAWay: There are a lot of KF stories being published these days, after that easter egg at the finale. But I promise this will be quite different. You asked 'Is Caitlin going to be evil?' and my answer would be a spoiler. We don't want that, do we?_

 _Disclaimer: I don't own the Flash or any other characters associated with this story._

 _Special thanks to my beta Cavacookie_

* * *

After an hour and a well needed nap, Caitlin's plane landed in Blüdhaven. The flight was indirect meaning she had a few hours to get some lunch and coffee. Caitlin was waiting in line at Starbucks when then concern started building up inside of her making her body tense. Although being positive that no major meta threat would strike the city in a single week, she was not convinced that leaving Cisco alone with Barry was safe. One could not blame her, after all, she patched Barry up after Cisco's experiments a lot more often than she did after a fight with a meta.

She took out her phone to check for any emergency texts or calls. Clear. She bit her lower lip while unconsciously rubbing her phone screen. Her finger was about to land on _'Barry'_ when her name was called and she snapped out of her uneasy state. Caitlin picked her Coconut Frappuccino and decided to just enjoy it. They were two grown men after all, what was the worst that could happen?

* * *

"Oww oww oww ow ow ow ow! Dude, that hurts!" Cisco exclaimed as Barry rubbed the disinfectant soaked cotton on his wound.

"I'm a forensic, Cisco, I clean up dead things. What did you do to get him so mad anyway?" he asked in return, inspecting the semi-burnt skin whilst trying to mop up the excess disinfectant that dripped on the floor from Cisco's arm, forming a puddle.

Cisco bit his lip trying to suppress the pain. "Apparently he likes Thai food, how was I supposed to know that? Okay maybe Caitlin's instructions said that somewhere," he continued when Barry raised an eyebrow. "But it also said someone was vegan and I thought it's probably the weather dude, he's so one with Mother Nature and stuff." He flinched as he remembered once again how Weather Wizard conjured up an instant-storm and personally summoned a lightning bolt to strike him. "Dude, I'm so going to be faster than you."

Barry gave an almost sly grin, "In that case, you can keep serving the metas, it will be much safer with that kind of speed."

"Well it just kind of grazed the skin, I'm glad I survived, thank you for saving my bottom, now can you please take the burgers to Prism and Everyman?"

"Don't you mean Rainbow Raider?"

A shocked expression spread across Cisco's face, who was obviously offended "Over my dead body, buddy, over my dead body."

Barry bandaged Cisco's arm before moving over and slumping on a chair with a groan. Cisco raised a brow, making him remember the duty. He was gone with a whoosh, then back with another one and a smirk on his face. "Done, and done. What now?"

Cisco checked his tablet, then slumped onto a chair with a groan. "It's as if the bad guys are on a vacation. But when I decide to take one, they become workaholic bumblebees," he complained with an eye roll.

Almost as bored, Barry clapped his hands together to get Cisco's attention. "C'mon, let's train."

"The treadmill is connected to my tablet," he replied, raising the tablet as if to prove a point. "You go run, I'll monitor."

Barry shook his head, and then there was another whoosh. When Cisco fixed his hair which was messed up from the wind, a ping pong table occupied the empty space in the room, and a smirking Barry was leaning against it.

Half an hour later, Barry had a smug grin on his face as he shamelessly announced his fourth victory in the row by twirling his racket in the air. "Cisco, you have never won, nor will you ever win against me, in a game of table tennis."

Cisco replied with an eye roll, "Dude, I could if you did not use your speed. Heck, I could outrun you if you did not have your powers." That was partly true, Barry was slow even by normal human standards without his powers. Then again, so was Cisco. Heck, he even remembered one time Caitlin outrunning him in heels. But they were being chased by a masked, drug enhanced meta-human armed with swords and guns, and the police officials – and probably the Arrow team— had watched that footage over and over _and over_ again so he had probably suffered enough to keep the memory to himself. He sat on the table before Barry moved over and offered him his racket.

"Another round?" His grin disappeared when Cisco's bottom lip turned out with a pout. "Come on, we can use Caitlin's formula," he offered with an even wider grin than before.

"Barry, are you suggesting what I think you are?" Cisco asked with a curious, yet mischievous tone. Normally, he would just jump to the offer; now he was actually hesitating. The lack of the two responsible doctor figures to call on them when they were up to something absolutely idiotic but equally fun, meant that Cisco was… Having second thoughts?

However, this didn't last long as the two were searching around Caitlin's equipment a minute later. "If I was a flask of illegally fermented ninety-nine per cent fuel ethanol, where would I be?"

It dawned on them the moment their eyes met.

* * *

The plane landed in Gateway City, where a private jet was waiting for Caitlin. She watched the ocean and occasional pieces of land they flew upon for what felt like countless hours. She was worried about her report and how well it would be received by major companies, main targets being Ferris Air and Wayne Enterprises. With Palmer Tech still in a crisis after Ray Palmer presumably died in an explosion (although no body was recovered), they were quickly drying out of funds.

Caitlin had met Carol Ferris at a gala before but Bruce Wayne, she only heard the name. And of course, the reputation as a womanizer playboy. She remembered the satisfaction in Barry's eyes when she playfully slapped Cisco after he suggested her flirting with Wayne for the trust.

But now, she was worried. If she could not get a promising report, no corporation would fund them. No funding meant cutting down even more of the S.T.A.R. Labs expenses, including her own researches as well as Cisco's. However, the real problem would arise if they needed to cut down even more, which meant no money to sustain an illegal meta-human prison or back up a super powered speedster. Suddenly, flirting did not seem like a bad option.

Her train of thoughts was interrupted when the co-pilot announced that they were close to landing and she should fasten her seat belt.

When the plane landed and the door opened, Caitlin was greeted with the serious face of a tall, blonde woman at her early thirties. She was holding out a large and puffy coat for her. "Welcome Dr. Snow, I recommend you wear this before taking another step."

It was a very short walk from the landing spot to the main facility, the woman introduced herself on the way. "My name is Louise Lincoln, I believe we have spoken with Mr. Ramon about your visit."

Caitlin observed her surroundings as they entered the Lab. It looked very similar to the one back home but it was crowded with more people, and they all seemed very busy. There were two young men, twins, working behind a large tri-screen computer in the middle of the room (which Caitlin assumed was the main command centre). A young woman, roughly the same age as her, was also showing off some data to an older man on the other side of the room.

The man turned around as the two approached. The young woman nodded coldly to Louise and skimmed over Caitlin with the corner of her eye before she left. "Hello Doctor Snow," the man spoke with a warm tone. "I am Professor Sebastian Torgo, and I am happy to welcome you to our humble facility." The two shook hands and Caitlin was already to starting to like him.

"Thank you, Professor," she smiled. "But I assure you, your facility is anything but humble. It is, in fact, quite impressive."

Torgo returned her smile, then turned to Louise. "Doctor Lincoln will show you around, and I will see you at dinner tonight." He then continued to examine the paperwork in his hands.

Louise nodded without a change in her expression. "Of course, Professor."

Caitlin turned to the other woman as they walked, "The professor seems like a nice man." Sure, she was trying to start a conversation but who wouldn't want to socialise in Arctic hell? Louise just shrugged with a dramatically neutral face and the two kept walking.

The facility was impressive at first glance, but after a tour, Caitlin was convinced that the student was slowly but surely becoming the master. The whole thing was much larger than the lab in Central City, and it was definitely more crowded with young minds from all around the globe.

Louise introduced her to some fresh graduates, the young Swiss twins – Luca and Noah Ackermann – they were computer engineers. Despite having major roles in the team, they seemed carefree and mischievous, it felt like having two even younger Cisco's run around the facility. The woman speaking to Torgo before was briefly introduced as the lead chemical engineer, Camille Moreau from France, as audible from her sharp accent – and to be honest, just as sharp curves. Her assistant Ethan Smith seemed like a kind, but shy guy. Though having seen the way Camille ordered him to get coffee, Caitlin thought it was a miracle the guy still had the guts to talk.

They toured some of the main parts of the facility – such as the command centre– before returning to the main hall, where a tall, well-built, blond man – in his mid-twenties Caitlin assumed – approached them. "Hey, Louise," he greeted with a genuine smile, to which she just nodded. The man introduced himself, "I'm James," he held out his hand. "James Torgo."

Caitlin accepted the handshake with a smile of her own, "Caitlin Snow. You're not related to Professor Torgo, are you?"

"Very glad to meet you Miss Snow, and yes, son," he replied, not breaking eye contact. The gorgeous shade of cerulean of his eyes did not escape Caitlin's sight. To be fair, it wouldn't have escaped anyone's sight. James turned to Louise, "Professor told me to give you these," he informed, handing her a couple of documents.

Louise scanned one of them and let out a silent groan, turning to Caitlin. "I'm afraid I have to attend to this Doctor Snow, hopefully you do not mind continuing the tour with James."

Caitlin tilted her head to one side as a 'no'. The man seemed much more sociable and friendly, and she would not mind learning about the project and data from someone who actually showed signs of facial muscle movements. She shivered at the realisation that Louise was disturbingly similar to her before she met Barry. Louise left without another word.

James watched her leave, giving Caitlin a moment to inspect his physique. He was well built, perhaps a little less muscular than Oliver but slightly taller. His posture was proud, and the overall vibe he gave was of a rich college dropout kid's. One would immediately assume he was only there because of his father and he possessed no real smarts. Of course, Caitlin was not a person of prejudice, and she would not come to a conclusion about his personality before holding a real conversation.

Maybe a little. Then again, she had recently found out not to judge anyone by appearance or reputation, even if said person was a paralysed genius looked upon by thousands as one of the biggest minds of the century. That would give anyone a free pass. Probably.

"So," James began, startling Caitlin. He let out a small chuckle as he apologised for cutting her thoughts, "Where did Louise left off?"

The doctor tried to cover her embarrassment by avoiding eye contact, "She was about to show me the main engine chamber."

He raised an eyebrow in response, Caitlin felt the curiosity in his voice as he kindly asked, "You have been travelling for hours, Doctor Snow, aren't you tired?"

She was, she definitely was, but she was also an expert on hiding it. "I'm used to functioning for twenty four hours on six hours of sleep plus a cup of coffee." That was partially correct, she could keep working. However, that did not mean she could do it properly.

"Those bags forming under your eyes are not supporting your theory, Doctor," he challenged back, embarrassing Caitlin twice in a single conversation, a very rare occurrence. "Why don't I show you to your quarters so you can rest a little?" When she opened her mouth to protest, he cut her off, "I will show you the engine and you can start recording your data tomorrow." It wasn't an offer, and even if it was, Caitlin was not about to decline it. She nodded and James led the way to her room.

* * *

Both Barry and Cisco knew they weren't supposed to be there. They were supposed to be sitting at S.T.A.R. Labs, keeping the city safe by doing absolutely nothing. But there they were, searching through Caitlin's apartment for something to get Barry drunk. Cisco was going through her bedroom while Barry ransacked the rest of her formerly tidy home. Perhaps this was going too far, but the guy was twenty five, and hadn't gotten drunk for almost a year and a half. With no meta activity, and no Caitlin to give them 'the look,' this was the perfect opportunity to get some time off.

He searched everywhere, the kitchen and bathroom cabinets, the pantry, under the couch, the medicine cabinet, behind the DVDs, inside large books, and even went far as to check inside a very expensive looking vase, out of desperation. He was going to get that flask, which meant no stone would be unturned until he had his hands on the prize.

Cisco soon announced their lack of luck with the bedroom. Neither of them wanted to give up, but Barry still sped through the apartment to tidy it up. Of course, that was no sign of giving up. Perhaps just an armistice for now?

They sat there for half an hour discussing possible hiding places, and Cisco offered to check areas with high ethanol concentration in the atmosphere, as the alcohol was likely to vaporise partially if not fully. Barry eliminated the possibility though, stating Caitlin was too smart to leave a highly flammable solution unattended like that.

With a frustrated groan, Cisco rose and marched into the kitchen, Barry following after him. "What are you doing?"

Cisco opened the freezer portion of the fridge, and searched between the bags of frozen vegetables, before pulling out a bottle of Vodka. "If we can't get you drunk the Snow way, you will have to get drunk the Cisco way." Barry raised a questioning brow, so he went on explaining. "You'll do shots from the bottle bro."

A shocked expression mixed with a grin spread across Barry's face as Cisco removed the cap, which was opened from before and that was strange, because the bottle was full. He ignored it though and brought the bottle up to his nose to smell the contains. He always did that when the alcohol was from Caitlin because she had the tendency to replace alcohol with water when he's had one too many. Okay, maybe that just happened once and he had it coming, but it was still a habit to make sure the alcohol was actually _alcohol_.

And that proved to be a very bad habit because the moment he inhaled, he dropped on the floor. Or would have if Barry did not catch him with one hand (and the bottle with the other). "Cisco? Are you okay?"

He didn't immediately respond, but he had an uncomfortably wide grin on his face and his hysteric laughs were accompanied by choking coughs. Barry tried to ease it down but he was panicking more and more as Cisco kept laughing. He supported Cisco to a sitting position on the floor, impatiently waiting for the frenzied chuckles to die down.

"Du-dude-" Cisco hiccupped. His exceedingly shaky hand pointed at the bottle Barry had set aside. " _I totally found it_."

* * *

 _A/N: And that's that, chapter two. Introducing a few new characters that you won't recognize because I made them up (well, except a few. Kudos to whoever recognizes the names). Some of them will have roles slightly more than just being minor characters, but fear not my dear readers, I am not planning on any OC main character._

 _Sneak preview: "Legally, it is not up or running," Cisco defended, before realizing that made it sound even worse. "Do I need an attorney now or..?"_

Aquixia _  
_


	3. A Long Night

_A/N: Thanks to everyone that read, reviewed and came this far! I hope you are all enjoying. This one is a slower chapter but cross my heart - there is more action in the next chapter._

 _Normally I would give a sneak preview of Chapter 4 but guess who accidentally overwrote the file and can't get the old version back? Unfortunately I don't remember much of it so it might take a little longer for me to post a new chapter._

 _Guest asked "_ _Is it going to have Barry and Caitlin as a couple?" and the answer is maybe. The romance/drama will get complex, you'll see why later on. But can't deny that I am a sucker for SnowBarry ;)_

 _DestinyWillFindAWay asked "But something is up with Louise, right? Will James turn evil?" and the answer is yes/no. 50/50 chance to hit the correct one if you guess! Anyway, thanks for asking but I really don't want to spoil it for anyone!_

 _As always, thanks to my beta Cavacookie for not reporting me for spam after I deleted the file and in-boxed her every thirty seconds complaining about it._

 _Enjoy!_

 _Aquixia_

* * *

The room was no penthouse, but it was the cosiest looking guest chamber she'd ever seen, mind the irony. Cream wallpaper contrasted the russet bedframe. The bed was slightly smaller than her one at home, but the thick mattress and puffy pillows definitely made up for the size loss. Caitlin noticed her suitcase and bags had been placed upon the beige carpet sheeting the floor. Two wall lamps above the side tables lightened up the room but the main source of light were the LEDs embedded into the suspended ceiling above the large dresser. There was a long, modern looking vanity on the opposite side of the room, and next to it a mini fridge. The only other appliances she could see were the corded phone and alarm clock on the side table next to her bed.

"The dining is down the hall, dinner's at seven thirty," James said as he checked the Rolex surrounding his arm. "So you have around three and a half hours to get ready, and perhaps a catnap?" he suggested with a smile before waving a quick goodbye and leaving her to rest.

Caitlin kicked off her boots and dropped onto the soft mattress, oh yes, that felt good. Her mind started to drift off as she closed her eyes, but she snapped them back open remembering her promise to call the guys once she had arrived. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to check how they were doing.

She reached for the phone on the table, and dialled herself. Always thinking before acting, she rang her cell twice before hanging up. She then reached her own phone and used a customised programme (courtesy of Felicity) to check for any corresponding lines or loose endings to the number. There were none, the line was private.

Caitlin dialled the labs first, and felt some relief when there was no answer. No answer meant Cisco wasn't there, which meant he went home, which in turn meant there was no city threatening meta human on the loose, and that was always good sign. She moved onto ringing his cell this time, which rang a few times before the line went dead.

Furrowing her brows, she dialled Barry, it rang once… Twice… Caitlin took a deep breath, they were just busy… Doing, something? Maybe they were just out training Barry. However, at nine fifty in the night, without a doctor in case Cisco went overboard again, it seemed unlikely. Or maybe something had went wrong and one of the meta humans had escaped? What if Cisco was unconscious and Barry had no idea? What if he was unconscious too? What if worse-

Her slightly irrational chain of thoughts were interrupted by Barry's voice at the other end of the phone. " _Hello?_ " He sounded curious and Caitlin noticed that he didn't know this number.

"Hey, Barry, it's me."

His voice changed to a higher pitch, suspiciously similar to when she first found out that he was working with Cisco without telling her, " _Hellooo, Caitlin, how was your trip_?"

"It was good, listen," she continued. "I can't reach Cisco, is he with you?"

A very loud clutter, followed by what sounded like glass breaking made her eyes widen. She opened her mouth to ask the hell was going on there, but as if on cue Barry answered, " _Yeah, we are at my place, hanging out, guy to guy, playing NBA -_ " a muffled cry of excitement cut him off for a moment and he shushed at something before continuing, " _I've got the hang up now, Cisco needs a medic there. Bye_!" With that, the line went dead.

"There are no medics in NBA," Caitlin thought out loud. She might not have been into video games but one did not have to be a brilliant scientist to tell that. She suspiciously kept her eyes on the phone for a moment, then let out an audible breath. ' _Okay Caitlin, if anything is wrong, they would have told you. Let them enjoy their guy time_.'

Of course even she could not convince herself but the lack of choice made worrying even more useless. She just closed her eyes and drifted into a dreamless, thoughtless, relaxing sleep.

* * *

Barry handed Cisco, who was now lying on Caitlin's perfectly beige couch with his boots on, a glass of water. Cisco had gotten over the initial influence and was now somewhere between buzzed and classic Cisco, who was arguably more dangerous.

Giving up on the poor soul of the antique vase Cisco had tripped over after not being able to normal, super or speedster style gluing it back together, Barry speed cleaned the kitchen and living room for the second time in a single night.

Cisco sat up, holding his breath to stop the dizziness. He blinked twice before happily gulping down the water. "Not even a hangover, _awesome_!"

Barry's curiosity outweighed his anxiety as he asked, "Really? Not even nausea?"

"Nope, nothing wrong with my belly," he said rubbing his stomach. "Technically the alcohol was never in my belly though so that's normal." He looked around for the bottle, "Where is the beauty?"

Barry sat down next to him, "In the freezer," he answered. He could not dare leave that thing out unattended. Caitlin had always impressed him but fermenting and distilling alcohol that got someone drunk for almost an hour just by inhaling once was way beyond impressive. It was scary.

"How many shots before you get drunk?" Cisco challenged with his iconic grin to which Barry shook his head. He had seen how the alcohol affected Cisco, and that made him very hesitant to find out what it would do to a super powered crime fighter.

"No. I want to make this week out alive and well, and I want the same faith for the city. Plus," he added with slight mischief, "I'm pretty positive that you will end up calling Oliver asking for help if there's a drunken speedster on the loose."

"You sound like my mom."

Barry rolled his eyes before remembering, "Caitlin called but I had to hang up on her, we should call her back."

He dialled Caitlin's cell on his phone, but was greeted with her voicemail. He called back the number she had called him with. It rang a few times before a sleepy voice gave a faint " _Hello?_ "

"Hey Caitlin, sorry for hanging up on you like that before. How was your flight?" Barry put the phone on speaker and Cisco leaned in to hear better.

An obviously failed attempt at suppressing a yawn was heard from the other end of the line, " _It was fine. The facility here is massive and so crowded, I haven't met many people but I will check on the project tomorrow. How are you two doing?_ "

Barry went on explaining they were at Cisco's place (although the fact that they were at Barry's half an hour ago did not escape Caitlin) relaxing and that the city was safe and the metas were enjoying their Big Belly's when there was a loud knock on the door. Cisco got up to get it while Caitlin told Barry about what she learned about the people, and the bad 'vibe' she was getting from Louise.

A short, chubby, elderly woman stood in the hallway as Cisco opened the door, "Dear, have you seen Mr. Whis -" she began asking about her cat but her eyes widened in shock seeing it wasn't Caitlin in front of her. The woman screamed.

 _"What was that?"_ Caitlin asked, alerted.

Barry got up to see it himself, and his eyes met with the woman who just screamed louder upon spotting the second stranger. "Just Mrs. Hanks, probably saw a cockroach or something – got to go help, bye!" he hurried to hang up once again before rushing to the woman to calm her down, but it was a little too late as all the neighbours were standing in the hall, two men ready to fight with baseball bats in hands, and a woman was asking for urgent help from the CCPD on the phone.

Barry groaned. With all eyes on them, there was no way of super speeding out of there. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

Caitlin sighed, her eyes still affixed on the phone as if it was going to tell her what was going on. Her only relief was that she was ninety nine per cent sure that if they needed something, they would tell. Although there was that one per cent chance of Snart holding Cisco hostage again or a genetically enhanced meta gorilla running around kidnapping cops – like _that_ would ever happen.

She put down the phone and rolled off the bed, she wouldn't be able to sleep anyway, so why try? Plus, she had been travelling for hours and despite the perfume she had practically bathed in in the morning, she didn't smell very pleasant, making the idea of a warm shower sound even more intriguing.

After a steaming hot shower and the search for a blow dryer, Caitlin applied her make up. She slipped on a semi-formal navy blue strapless dress (the only piece in her suitcase that didn't require ironing after Barry's chaotic packing), a pair of silver heels and matching earrings and a cuff bracelet. She looked in the mirror one more time and smoothened out her dress. " _Okay, Caitlin, a good impression before everything_ ," she mentally assured herself before heading out of her room.

* * *

"A scientific genius and a CSI and neither of you thought to show the old lady your keys? How the hell can you people keep that place up and running?"

Barry and Cisco exchanged a look before simultaneously lowering their heads. Joe was obviously amused, as seen from his attempts at muffling his chuckles from passing by officers. Cisco had the keys, so they would not be held in for breaking and entering. So the whole arrest fiasco was a show to make the old lady happy, but they were also in luck that it was Joe's work night and he was tidying up some reports at the CCPD.

"Legally, it is not up _or_ running," Cisco defended, before realising that made it sound even worse. "Do I need an attorney now or..?"

Unable to hold it back anymore, Joe laughed. "Doubt even Miss Lance can save you on this one."

Barry raised an eyebrow, "Lance? As in Laurel Lance?"

Cisco nodded, his posture proud as the picture they took together flashed in his eyes. "Yup, the one and only bird of prey of Starling City," he added in a whisper.

"I've read they have quite the history with Oliver," Joe stated, making Cisco's smile turn upside down.

"Dude, half of Starling City's population is off limits because of Oliver or Roy, and the other half is male. So not fair," Cisco pouted, his expression like a puppy that just had his favourite toy taken away. That only made Joe laugh even more and Barry chuckle as he playfully fisted Cisco's shoulder.

"Anyway," Joe returned the conversation back to the point. "I need Caitlin's written confirmation about the key and you two can go."

Barry and Cisco exchanged looks, then simultaneously started chewing on their bottom lip, a contagious habit picked up from a certain bioengineer. "Well," Barry began. "She is not in town."

"Oh, where is she?"

"Arctic," Cisco answered.

Joe seemed confused, as he raised a brow. "What the hell is she doing there?"

"Looking for a way to get money flowing back into S.T.A.R. Labs' bank account. Capturing and sustaining a new meta every other Tuesday is pretty costly to say the least," Barry explained.

"Ah," Joe nodded understandingly. "Did you consider shooting a reality show in that crazy lab of yours? You know, like that messed up family Iris used to make us watch?" The memory sent a shiver up both Barry and Joe's spines. Living with Iris had its perks – she was a great cook and knew how to shop for groceries (Joe only bought beer and Barry stocked on all types of chocolate bars). But that came at a cost – every single Monday night.

" _At S.T.A.R. Labs, things are getting heated between Deathbolt and Weather Wizard. Who ate Cisco's mom's enchiladas? Who will confess to it in front of Peek-a-Boo? Find out tonight on Keeping up with the Pipeline!_ " Cisco mimicked in a mocking voice.

Joe and Barry's laughs gained the attention of tired officers working around them, so they had to hush it down.

"Alright, I'll let you two go, if anyone asks, you were just watering the plants." Barry and Cisco began to thank and stand up, but Joe stopped them. "Reminds me, the old lady said she heard loud noises and glass breaking, what the hell was going on up there?"

Cisco shrugged, "We were trying to get Barry drunk."

"Ah. Careful with that, I don't want to have to call the Arrow on a wasted Flash."

"See, that's the first solution that comes to mind!" Cisco laughed. Barry just rolled his eyes.

"Take care, you two," Joe said as the two began to leave.

"You too, Joe," Barry waved, and the duo left the CCPD looking for another adventure, which may or may not have lead them to their respective homes to get enough rest to continue causing trouble the next day.

* * *

The Arctic Lab surely had a more sophisticated vibe to it than the one in Central City. Maybe it was because the lab was much more crowded and full of life, or perhaps because it had not blown a crater on the face of the continent.

Even though Caitlin was prepared for the dining to be classy, the luxury she was greeted by was unexpected to say the least. She was worried about being overdressed before she walked through the smoked glass door, but she found herself wishing for higher heels and a longer gown the moment she stepped in.

The room was massive, walls covered in red velvet and decorated with enormous paintings. The marble floor was so shiny that she could see her reflection on it. A Sandalwood table was symmetrically in the middle, and twenty luxurious chairs surrounding it were all occupied, except one.

Caitlin forced herself to smile and greeted everyone as she made her way to the empty chair next to James. His father, who was sitting at one end of the table, introduced her to the team. "Ladies and gentlemen, meet Doctor Snow. Our very precious visitor from Central City."

There was a calm applause from the small crowd which died down early. Some didn't seem very interested with her; some seemed the exact opposite. Camille was seated next to Torgo, whispering something. The twins were sitting in front of her, and Louise was nowhere to be seen. James leaned in near Caitlin, "They will bombard you with questions before we get to the dessert, don't worry."

Caitlin faked a smile, "I'm not worrying." That was a lie. And a not a petty one either, but she was used to hiding feelings, especially anxiety, so there was absolutely nothing to worry about.

James was spot on when he warned about the question bombardment. Caitlin found herself unable to take a bite in the time between answering a question and receiving a new one, and that was troubling because her stomach was imitating a whale's mating call. On one hand, she enjoyed the attention, as many of the audience members seemed pretty impressed by her work. However, on the other, dinner came and went and she hadn't even been able to kill the wolf in her stomach.

Luckily for her, dessert arrived, occupying everyone and giving her a few minutes to breathe as everyone dig in. The mousse truly looked delicious, and Caitlin almost started spooning. Almost.

"Caitlin," Noah said from the opposite side of her. He was already referring by her name, so were a couple of other younger people, but that did not make her uncomfortable. "We heard there's some weird things are going on in Central City – "

"– Yeah, they call him the Flash don't they? We watched his battle against Sub-Zero and Blazeman," Luca finished for his brother, the geniuses both sounding like five year olds. The subject seemed to catch the attention of most people at the table.

"Sub-Zero and Blazeman?" James asked, saving Caitlin the trouble.

"You know, the guys with the ice gun and flamethrower? Heard someone from Caitlin's team helped the police catch them."

Caitlin nodded with hidden proud for her teammate, "That was my friend Cisco, he developed a special shield for the CCPD. He likes calling them Captain Cold and Heat Wave," she added, not realising how ridiculous it sounded until the sentence left her mouth. The twins just shrugged.

"Doctor Snow, if you do not mind me asking, how are you associated with the Flash?" the question came from an older male seated next to Camille. He had a kindness to his tone, and added when Caitlin began to put on her best confused face. "I was visiting Central City when the said battle took place. If my memory is not mistaken, I believe you were used to lure the Flash. Do you know who it is under the mask?"

"Oh, that," Caitlin said with realisation and relief. "Well," she began the previously rehearsed story. "No, I do not. But he had saved my friend one time and I went up to thank him. They probably saw us and thought I was working with him."

"Starling City also has a hero, they call him the Arrow," a woman said, sparking an argument out of nowhere.

"He is no hero, he is a vigilante. A killer," another man replied. "He should be caught and punished by law, not be reinforced by it," he said, obviously judging Captain Lance's (currently non-existent) support for the Arrow.

Caitlin found herself leaning farther and farther back into her chair as if to get away from the table as the argument flamed on. To be fair, both sides were debating rationally, but a debate between fifteen people was still loud – and quite intimidating. Her action was caught in James's eye, who chuckled at her. "Don't worry, they'll quiet down."

They indeed did, as both sides obviously got tired. The dessert plates were also removed from the table – one still carried Caitlin's untouched mousse – as Torgo congratulated everyone for another successful workday.

Following his closing 'Goodnight' wish, everyone got up and left and Caitlin headed back to her room, hungry and tired, craving sleep. But a gentle hand grasped her arm, stopping her midway. She turned to see James.

"Sorry that you couldn't eat tonight. It's not like this every night. Most of us usually dine at the cafeteria separately without any solemn conversations with my father's crew."

Caitlin nodded dismissively. She liked James, but she was also tired and hungry, lacking sleep and almost moody. "That's good to know. I'm really tired so if you don't mind, I need to get some sleep."

"I didn't stop you for chit chat Doctor Snow, you know that," James teased. "If you are fine with waiting, I can get some dinner delivered to your room in about half an hour."

Normally, she would kindly pass an offer like this, but the last thing she had eaten was a blueberry muffin before she boarded the second plane at noon. She licked her lips, thinking for a moment before taking up on the suggestion, "I'd be grateful."

"You're very welcome," James said as he paced through the hallway and disappeared, leaving Caitlin in front of her door.


	4. Somewhat Green

_A/N: I'm back! Kind of... I've been struggling with a lot of personal and academical issues lately, so please excuse my absence. But I promise you that this story will eventually be done! Hopefully. Probably. Meh... Anyway, thank you for your patience!_

 _Disclaimer: I don't own the Flash or any other characters associated with this story._

* * *

The next morning, Caitlin woke to the sound of her alarm clock, followed closely by a knock on her door.

"Doctor Snow?" the female voice came from the door. Caitlin pushed the puffy sheets off of her, bummed about not getting her traditional five more minutes. She had her winter pajamas on, which left much to the imagination and little to worry about being seen, despite the fact that she was pretty comfortable with her body.

Caitlin creaked the door open quarter way, and popped her head out to face Louise. "Good morning," she said as cheerily as possible at six thirty in the morning.

"Good morning," Louise repeated, not looking quite as amused. "I came to check if you were awake, we need to have breakfast quickly and get to work."

Caitlin nodded sleepily, suppressing a yawn. "Yeah, sure. Let me just put on something."

Caitlin then shut the door in Louise's face in a not-so-kind way to get dressed and do her make-up and hair, which took roughly ten minutes. When she got out, Louise was still waiting there.

They walked to the cafeteria, which was large but almost completely empty – except James who was waving at them to join him, Torgo, five or six older men and women seated with the said director, Louise and herself. After sharing 'good morning's with the other table, Caitlin and Louise set their purses at James's table.

"Good morning ladies," James cheerfully greeted. "Caitlin, did you enjoy your dinner last night?"

Caitlin nodded, and Louise barely raised an eyebrow with the slightest change in her expression. "Yeah, thanks a lot. They even filled my minibar," she giggled. Two young kitchen workers had knocked on her door half an hour after James left, and as one served her rather large meal (and accompanied dessert – mousse, no less) the other one filled the minibar with snacks and drinks on which Caitlin munched later.

"The buffet is over there," James pointed, "but I guess Louise was going to tell you that," he added when Louise rolled her eyes at his cheery friendliness.

The two women picked up plates and started stuffing them. "You weren't at dinner last night," Caitlin pointed out as she spooned some scrambled eggs.

Louise paused for a moment before continuing to pick up a piece of bacon, "The dinner is only for lead members of the team."

Caitlin slowly nodded, confused. "I thought you were a leading member."

"I work as the lead bioengineer, but I took no part in creating the project," Louise explained as she finished off her plate with some parsley.

"Oh," Caitlin replied, and the two walked back to the table and settled.

A waiter hurried over asking if 'they would fancy a drink', and the women asked for coffee and James requested tea.

"So Caitlin, how are things going over at Central City?" James asked.

Caitlin's eyes widened for a moment, as she remembered the last time she had spoken to the guys. They were obviously up to no good, but she had forgotten to give them a call after she woke up. "They are fine, I guess," she shrugged, referring to the situation of the lab rather than the people in it. "After the accident no one trusts us anymore though," she sadly added. "I can't blame them, we blew a hole in the city – but it's still sad to see parents pull away their kids when they point at the building."

Louise sighed without looking up at her, and continued munching on a carrot. James was more sympathetic, placing an assuring hand on her arm. "We will get you the funds, and you will rebuild your lab. It is our ancestor after all. We care about it as much as we care about ours."

"Thanks, James," Caitlin smiled.

Louise cleared her throat, disrupting their shared gaze. "If you are done, Doctor Snow, we should get going."

Caitlin was nowhere near done, with her plate still almost full. But she decided it was best to try and stay on Louise's 'not too bad' side and placed her steaming cup of coffee back on the table. "Yes, alright. I need to call in first though, hope you don't mind?" she asked, and the other woman nodded.

* * *

Barry yawned as he leaned back in his office chair at his lab at the CCPD. It was a slow day, and he shouldn't have been complaining but there he was, hoping for a robbery, break-in, or anything else he could help with ease without harming anyone.

"Morning," came a cheery voice from the door. Barry jerked up, bringing himself to a proper posture.

"Hey Iris, what are you doing here?" he asked. It wasn't unusual for Iris to come over; his dad, adopted brother and boyfriend were collectively working there after all. But she mostly came during lunch, not in the morning.

Iris walked over to give him a hug from behind, her soft hair tickling his ear. "Eddie forgot his lunch. I also brought some for you and dad, it's downstairs," she smiled, letting him go.

"Ah," Barry acknowledged, hoping it was anything but macaroni and cheese. Iris was an amazing cook, but there were some dishes that should be illegal for her to attempt. "Thanks."

"Don't mention," she said cheerily and fixed her bag on her shoulder, walking towards the door. She then stopped remembering his absence last Tuesday night at Joe's. "Where were you the other night by the way? Dad told me not to worry but I'd like to know why you ditched us," she said half playfully, half curiously.

"I stayed over at Caitlin's," Barry replied with a shrug. Iris reacted unexpectedly sudden, almost throwing her purse on his desk and sitting in the empty chair in front of it at a speed that even the Flash might have found hard to catch up with.

"Oh my gosh, tell me all about it. How did it happen? I'm so glad you two finally got together, I mean, you two are a perfect match! She is a genius, you are a genius - and Eddie owes me twenty bucks. So is that why you've been spending so much time at S.T.A.R. Labs? The lightning psycho thing is just an excuse," she rammed the words. Barry tried to open his mouth and reply between each sentence but the next one followed too quickly.

Barry managed to reply when she gasped for air. "Not like that! She, Cisco and I had pizza and we fell asleep on the couch, she wasn't even in the room when we woke up," he explained, putting emphasis on the name of the other male member of the group.

"Oh," Iris said, obviously disappointed. Ever since Barry opened up to her, and even after Caitlin came up with an excuse which justified it, Iris had been trying to get him to date new people. In fact, she was trying so hard Barry could clearly recall calling her a Friday night, claiming he was sick just so he could get some alone time with his couch, popcorn and Netflix instead of meeting up with a pretty blonde Iris had claimed to be Eddie's distant cousin.

Iris got up and fixed her bag on her shoulder, heading towards the door, "It's okay I guess, there is a cute intern at the office, you can come over some time" she cheerily offered, to which Barry nodded with a fake smile. Iris brushed past Eddie as she left, who gave her a quick peck on the lips and whispered something, earning a cute giggle.

Barry had stopped feeling awkward around the couple a few months ago. He had come into terms with the fact that they were a thing now, living together. When Joe learned how he no longer fell for Iris, he gave his adopted son a hug, glad that he could now move on.

"Joe didn't seem as irritated that she hugged me first when she walked in," Eddie opened the conversation with a semi smile. "Would you call that an improvement?"

Barry shrugged, "I suppose. He hasn't broken your nose for touching her, that's a good sign."

Eddie raised a worried brow, "He did that before? Iris never mentioned. Should I start worrying?"

"Bernard Baily," Barry shrugged. "He took Iris to the prom, and when they came back Joe saw him make a move. Took both of us to prevent Joe from paralyzing the asshole."

Eddie grimaced in visible discomfort. Joe seemed fine with him, even after he had accidentally mentioned his sex life with his daughter. He then decided to forcefully ignore it and get to the topic. "They found a body in the abandoned bookstore on fifty second avenue. We're going there now, you need a ride?"

The Flash's identity was known to Eddie, but he still found small humor in mocking Barry's speed. "You go ahead. I'll be there in a flash," Barry replied with a hint of playfulness to his tone.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Joe's impatient text lit up Barry's phone screen, "Where the hell are you?"

Barry sped to the nearest alley after checking for any by passers, then walked to the crime scene, passing under the yellow tape. "Sorry, a house fire, good's store robbery and a cat stuck on a tree," Barry explained his lateness without giving Joe time to ask. He also slid up the sleeve of his sweater to reveal a bunch of bright red scratch marks that had not healed yet to prove his point. Joe simply shook his head in response.

"What have we here?" Barry closed in on the corpse, kneeling next to it to get a better observation. The corpse did not look fresh, but wasn't degrading. The skin had a greenish hue to it, and despite the entire place reeking of rotten flesh, the body was completely intact.

"Female, mid-thirties. I'm not sure about the time of death because of the abnormal decomposition," Barry stated. "Very expensive suit, gold necklace and the stone is possibly a diamond, she was definitely well off."

"The jewelry is still on her, so not a robbery," Eddie stated, looking at Barry for confirmation.

"But no purse," Barry added. "Might have been a snatch. She runs after him, he kills her, panics and hides the body. Who found the body?"

"The owner died a month ago," Joe replied. "Her granddaughter came to check on the place, stumbled upon a body."

"Ouch, that's got to ruin a memory," Barry grimaced. "I'll take a DNA sample to analyse. Move the body to the autopsy chamber and check the surveillance of any stores nearby," Barry ordered, then added with a guilty smile when Joe gave him a monotone look. "Which you are already on, got it."

Barry carefully scraped off a tiny piece of skin from the fingertip to place inside a sample tube. "Go," Joe hurried him. He disappeared as a blur.

Two hours later, Joe entered Barry's workplace. "So, who's our victim?"

"The DNA matches Mary Carvel, thirty seven. Is the autopsy result back?" he asked. Joe shook his head as response.

"Yeah, no bullet wound, no trauma signs, no nothing. The autopsy guy said it's nothing like he's ever seen before. You might want to take a look at it."

Barry nodded, "Yeah, alright. I found something interesting, she's a high school science teacher." Barry had gone through the woman's recorded life, which was as monotone and event-less as humanly possible. Carvel lived alone in a small apartment, just across the road from the school she was teaching at. She was not even a part of a book club or yoga society; let alone being related to any criminal activity. She did not even have a speeding ticket in her name. However, the agonizingly boring life had ended at one point and given rise to a much more luxurious, entertaining and perhaps fatal fate after she had met a particular partner for life.

Joe took a seat on Barry's desk, intrigued. "You said she wore diamonds. Can a teacher salary even afford that?"

"Exactly what I thought. I dug a little deeper and guess who married rich and is now living even richer off the life insurance? Well, was," Barry corrected himself.

Joe nodded in acknowledgement. "So she kills her husband-"

"Wife," Barry corrected.

"So she kills her wife," Joe repeated. "Gets the insurance money and lives happily. This gets the in-laws mad and one kills her, dumps the body in an abandoned bookstore and leaves."

Barry got up from his chair and started pacing around the room, explaining his findings with the excitement of a five year old in a candy store. "Yes but no body means no proof of death, so the insurance doesn't pay. If they wanted the money they wouldn't have hidden it. But I still checked for the wife's family and they haven't even visited Central City in seven years. Anything came out of surveillance footage?"

Joe shook his head, leaning farther back. "Nothing we could pick up."

"I'll take a look as well at S.T. A.R. Labs with Cisco, maybe we can find something." Barry grabbed the analysis results and calmly walked out of the building. As he left, he checked for any bystanders, and when he saw none he flashed away.

* * *

Barry picked up some Coast City pizza (Cisco's current addiction) on the way to the lab, and the two started eating as watched the surveillance footage of the general goods store for the fourth time.

"I see nothing," Barry put the slice down in frustration. He was taking in everything and even in slow motion, the woman was just standing in the corner looking terrified and the next second she started shaking violently. After shaking for a few seconds, she fell in the corner in the exact same position and appearance as when she was found. That had both Cisco and Barry uncomfortable because the footage was from three weeks ago and the body had not lost a single tissue.

"Did you perform an autopsy?" Cisco asked in an attempt to calm him down.

"Joe's working on my warrant, it should be ready in an hour or so," Barry replied. But Cisco didn't even hear the reply as he started clicking on something on the screen with complete focus on his face, even putting down his chocolate milkshake. "What are you doing?" Barry asked, leaning near the screen from behind Cisco's chair.

"It's a meta," Cisco said.

"Didn't we come to that conclusion half an hour ago?" Barry asked in half sarcasm, and half curiosity.

"Yes but we've been looking at this the wrong way," Cisco said and clicked on a file. The same footage appeared but this time in shades of blue. Thermal imaging. The woman's figure was in red surrounded by a slight yellow shade. "We can't pick it up with normal vision because we're looking for something invisible."

"Of course," Barry said with realization. They watched the video again, and the woman kept radiating heat until she started shaking, when the red kept changing to blue every second until her body was only a navy blue as she dropped onto the floor. "Whatever it is, it's stealing her energy."

Cisco ran the video again, then pointed to a very slight blue cloud on the screen, pausing the frame. "There, see?" Barry squeezed his eyes, making the blurry, undefined shape visible to them. His eyes widened. "Dude, we've a ghost, dope!" Cisco exclaimed with excitement which Caitlin would have referred to as unhealthy.

* * *

Caitlin picked up the corded phone, dialing the lab. After a few rings, Cisco's playful voice came from the end of the line. _"S.T.A.R. Labs, how can we be of assistance?"_

Caitlin rolled her eyes at the immature tone. If anyone else had called into opening line would not help gain their reputation back. Not that it was at a point to be repaired by a kind answer to a call. "Cisco, it's me," she replied.

 _"Hey Caitlin. How's your trip going?"_ Cisco replied, happy from hearing the voice of the person closest to what he had to a sister. A beep which sounded like the speakers turning on came following it.

"It's okay. How are you doing? Is Barry there?"

 _"Yup,"_ Barry chipped in. _"We're having pizza. You jealous yet?"_ he playfully asked.

Caitlin smiled, she wasn't jealous but pizza sounded nice. "I just had breakfast-"

 _"How's the food there?"_ Cisco interrupted. Caitlin giggled silently so that the men at the end of the line wouldn't hear. Of course food would be the first thing Cisco would ask if he wasn't asking about the technology there.

"It's good. We had lobster last night," Caitlin answered, careful not to mention that she was unable to get any. "And some mousse for dessert," she teased.

Cisco blurted out some of the milkshake. _"How's that even fair? All we have is an empty fridge!"_

Barry chuckled after whooshing away for a moment to check on the said fridge. _"We've got a milk bottle housing its own ecology."_ Cisco made a noise of disgust.

"Oh, I forgot that!" Caitlin said. "Could you please put some water in there?" A few seconds of silence followed, she assumed that the guys were confused. "What? They are living beings, I can't just let them die of dehydration," she explained.

After another moment of awkward silence, she decided to change the topic. "So, any new meta humans?"

 _"Actually, yes. We think we found a ghost,"_ Barry informed.

"A ghost," Caitlin repeated, blinking. She had seen a psycho on death row that could morph into a poisonous gas, a love struck girl that could teleport, a vegan who didn't quite mind melting people's faces off with his laser vision and even a shape shifting flirt but for some reason a ghost sounded way too weird.

 _"Yup," Cisco joined in. "We have a ghost and a green body. You know, we could actually use her help for the autopsy,"_ he said to Barry.

"Send me the samples and I might be of help," Caitlin offered as Barry's phone started to ring. Caitlin and Cisco were both silent as Barry talked to Joe at the other side of the room, and after hanging up he came back with a worried face.

 _"They found another body in the old archive, same condition,"_ he explained. Cisco immediately started typing on the computer to find surveillance.

"Doctor Snow, we are about to run late," Louise called from the door, knocking.

"I'm almost done," Caitlin answered, then turned back to the phone. "I need to go as well, Mail me what you find and I'll try to help."

 _"Bye,"_ the two simultaneously said, _"Take care,"_ Barry added and Caitlin hung up the phone.

* * *

 _A/N: And there you thought I was going to leave Barry without his own story arc, huh? Just because our beloved Cait is away doesn't mean that action in the city will stop._

 _So I have a few little things to say;_

 _Firstly, the story will not be affected in any way by the ongoing season 2, the characters appearing in it or the way they portrayed Killer Frost. It is on from where it first started (season 1, episode 19) and will end mostly independent from the show._

 _Second thing, I have recently watched Batman v Superman and guess what? Fell in love with it! The action, the story, the easter eggs, my inner fangirl was crying her heart out in the cinema! Which means I will probably end up writing a one shot or a good, old fashioned story on it. Just saying..._

 _And finally, I want to thank you all again for sticking with me up to this point despite me not being even remotely consistent with my writing (oops)!_

 _Sneak preview:_ _"How did you survive?" he calmly asked. She was going to die one way or another, but coming out of the chamber, still alive, let alone able to escape must have been sorcery. The device was still a prototype, however. A person with her mind – it was understandable that she found a way out._


End file.
